E-readers vs. printed books

With the rising popularity of e-readers, such as the highly successful Amazon Kindle, many have replaced their traditional ‘paper format’ books with electronically downloaded equivalents.

While technology’s ever increasing presence in our everyday lives means that new and popular literature is becoming accessible with the mere click of a button, the reverse effect of this is that booksellers and libraries are feeling the pinch as a result of a drop in patrons, amid speculation that written works in the printed format may be on the way out.

But even with e-readers' success, do people really believe that the paper format, which has existed for thousands of years and played a huge part of the world’s development, could ever be rendered obsolete? Do people harbour a preference for reading on either paper or an e-reader device?

We asked people why they think electronic readers should replace books, newspapers and magazines; the pros and cons of owning an e-reader, and contrastingly, if physical books should remain at the forefront of publishing.

Tradition vs. technology: which do you prefer and why?

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Argument 1: "E-readers will eventually replace printed books"

Here’s what our poll participants had to say:

“It seems obvious that in a world where all other media has gone digital, sooner or later print will follow suit” Kindle Lover, UK

“They are already working on paper-like screens that can be rolled up. Paper will become obsolete, although we are not there yet” Paul W, Brighton

“Young people rarely wear watches anymore, because they use their mobiles as their time pieces. The same is happening with music. These changes happened quickly and the same will happen with e-books” Anonymous

“It will become too expensive for paper-based products to be produced. Once the majority of people are familiar with the technology, there will come a time when books start to only be released electronically” Jim K, Guildford

“When they become commonplace in schools and children grow up reading on them as standard, I think that will be the first death knell of the paper format book” Graeme S, Aberdeen

“Children are more likely to convert to e-readers as they grow up. Older generations are more likely to remain faithful to paper format. But like vinyl records there will always be a demand and paper will not entirely die out” CrisH, Isle of Wight

“Publishers need to embrace the new technology, taking the opportunity to broaden the range of authors available. It is the perfect time to trial new authors who would previously have been too much of a risk due to print costs” Anonymous

“As e-readers become more affordable and offer more features (moving images, interactivity, in built dictionaries, ability to highlight text, email passages to reference in essays etc.) I can see them eventually replacing books as the prime format for literature” Richard G, Coventry

Argument 2: "The printed format should remain!"

“A good book has a magical quality” Rita, UK

“Schools with libraries and archives use the paper format to easily track, amend, and display their collections in accessible ways. Although the digital format is increasingly being adopted by institutions, this is usually intended to be a counterpart format to the paper format, which is accessible to more people” Anonymous, Norfolk

“There is nothing like the feel and smell of a well-read book or the aura of a large library” Mags, Bingley

“Books and bookshelves add to the decor of a room and people’s choice of book on shelves is often a talking point or an ice-breaker for guests. One can 'lend' or 'give' a book to a friend” Liz Mac, Felixstowe

“Books are highly suitable for use with children and are more memorable and easy to interact with. A paper book can be a treasured possession” Anonymous

“There is an unexplainable aspect of reading in paper format, a classic tradition and class about it. A book read many times can give the paper a wrinkled historical look to it” Anonymous

“I still relish the feel and smell of a paper based book. The crisp, unbent spine on a new book, the way ink smudges on my fingers, and the smell of the paper. These are all part of my reading experience” FG, Durham

“Books can hold value, and first editions can become quite valuable - something that will never happen with e-books” Mark H, Kent

“The joy of looking through old books will never be achieved with a Kindle. I am about to turn 60 this year and have just passed on ‘Wind in the Willows’ - a book given to my for my 8th birthday - to my granddaughter, she loves it as I do and did” Cal, Chester

“Books are special, they make good gifts, it feels like you've got something really good when holding them, you can annotate them for essays, and they look good on a bookshelf. What's not to love?” Gilly R, Telford

“Reading a book isn't just about the words on the page - it's about the feel of a linen cover, the worn look of a well-loved book, the handwritten inscription of a book given to you by a loved one that brings back so many other memories and the wonderful musty smell of a book that has passed through many hands” Anonymous, Cornwall

“Books are about more than the story or a collection of words” Suzi W, Farnborough

“I am unlikely to replace my existing library of books with electronic versions. Many of the books I have bought in the last few years are either out of print or show no sign of becoming available in electronic format” Anonymous

“The printed word is reassuringly solid. The copy of ‘1984’ that's sitting on my bookshelf doesn't suddenly vanish at the whim of the publisher. Books are here to stay” ED, Northampton

“I like the feel, the touch, the smell of a book. One read it becomes part of me and I want that actual copy on my shelves. I can then pick it up and just read a page and it reminds me of time when I first read it” Anonymous, Lincolnshire

“I enjoy the process of shopping for books - looking at the covers, reading the blurb, flicking through the pages, which you cannot do online” Louise, High Wycombe

“I love the anticipation when you open a book you haven't read before. I like the fact you can jump from one page to another quickly and easily to compare pictures for example. I love the smell of a new book and the crisp unturned pages” Ellie, Berkshire

“I think that paper media is more flexible than e-readers. After all you can take a book with you to the North Pole or the Sahara without worrying how you're going to charge it” David B, Princes Risborough

“I work on a computer all day, so a book is a way of switching off” Hannah, Oxford

1. What do you think are the pros and cons of e-readers?

Pros

“It's cheaper to purchase books, and just as easy - if not easier - to read. Also e-readers are easier to carry around” Jane, Kent

“It saves a trip to the charity shop when I've read the book & no longer need it” Anonymous, Chepstow

“It is easy to download the book of your choice. No waiting for it to arrive by post or go shopping as it is instantaneous” Margaret, West Lothian

“E-books take up less room in the house than books and magazines and as homes get smaller this will become a factor. Also disposing of papers and magazines may eventually become expensive as landfill sites become more scary and expensive” Anonymous

“Since I started using an e-reader I am reading more than I used to” Margaret, Lancashire

“I am totally satisfied with my e-reader, carrying and storing new books, the total ease of buying new books; daily offers encouraging me to look at books by new authors” Cal, Chester

“E-readers are great for researching and for reading when on public transport” DG Gloucestershire

“Saving paper, saving the planet, no ink on your fingers, better cost” D. Wolves, UK

“Particularly useful when going on holiday as I don’t have to take paper books which take up too much of the weight allowance” Anonymous

“The e-reader is good for out of print books” DG Gloucestershire

“Anything that encourages reading is a good thing whatever format it is in” Anonymous

“I can take it with me wherever I go…I can buy hundreds of books and even newspapers and keep them on that one tiny space and I can find what I want to read at the touch of a button. Magic” Granny Carol, Dorset

“E-readers are great for those with poor sight as you can increase size of print. I have read so much more since having it” Anonymous

Cons

“At the moment e-readers aren't a particularly pleasant experience, many are expensive and there are several incompatible formats. They need care, charging and looking after and losing it would be bad news” Pete, Lancashire

“I sympathise with the issue of payment to authors as they are being expected to write for less and less pay” Anonymous

“There is something soulless about downloaded reading matter. You do not get the sense that it has been made with any real feeling – it has been produced solely to make money” Anonymous

“It is very sad to think that perhaps future generations will not know the joy of books. How many people have picked up a book from a shelf by pure chance only to have an entirely different world opened up to them? With the new screen book technology we make ourselves more ignorant, less curious and intellectually impoverished” Angela, London

“The move to electronic books would further damage the libraries in the UK. I read an interview with Jodie Picoult yesterday in the Times in which she says that authors are losing out on electronic books financially” Anonymous, London

“As someone studying graphic design and illustration I do not believe e-readers are versatile enough to suitably display all types of publications. Qualities such as page size and paper quality are lost, as well as any varnishes or cut-outs” Richard G, Coventry

“It could make people lazier in their choice of literature not having to shop or visit libraries” Sid, Rhos-on-Sea

“I wouldn't want to go for a swim and leave an e-reader unattended on a beach, whereas I have never had a book or newspaper stolen” Anonymous

“E-readers are cold and impersonal” Anonymous

“I am not enamoured with relying on electronic devices for everything” Rob S, East Yorks

“Because I read in the bath, I would be afraid I'd drop the e-reader in the water” Phrag, Wirral

“I have found with an e-reader that if someone asks me what I am reading I can't remember the title, as I never see the front cover to remind me” Barb M, Merseyside

“A book is a permanent object in relative terms whereas computer devices have storage which is subject to failure and loss of content” Tony N, Reading

“Looking at a screen feels unnatural. You can't flick back to a certain page in quite the same way as you can with a book, and it doesn't feel the same holding it” Mark H, Kent

“Reading a book is a tactile experience. By comparison the e-book is unsympathetic - even boring. I have still to read a complete book on it” Patricia, Oxford

“Security issues when carrying an expensive e-reader in public. I wouldn't feel safe using one” Mark H, Kent

“It is hard to share an e-newspaper, but you can split a paper newspaper so you can share it” Anonymous

“If I wrote a novel, I'd like to see it as a book rather than as merely an electronic entity on people's e-readers” Baz, Swansea

“Reading a book is relaxing whereas reading from a machine is like being at work” Anonymous

“I like collecting series of books e.g. Terry Pratchett's ‘Discworld’ and an e-reader can't replace that” Anonymous

“Primarily you are a victim of the 'must have the latest gadget' hype. As a non-fiction loving person I need paper based sources” JHW, Washington

“I struggle to remember where I am in a novel/book with an e-reader” Baz, Swansea

“You can’t read electronic devices when taking off and landing on a plane. Some things you want to be able to write on” Anonymous

“I would like the e-reader to be just that ... I don't want any extras (they're already adding lots of apps). I have my mobile, my pc. I'd like my e-reader to be full of books and nothing else” Elinor M, Midlands

“I can't cut out & collate any articles on a single theme from various sources or pass well-read magazines onto a friend without incurring copyright issues...” AMM, Edinburgh

Argument 3: "A happy medium is possible"

“Kindle definitely has its uses and I am glad I own one but I don’t think e-readers will replace newspapers and in particular books. The feel of reading/browsing through a book cannot be found in Kindle or similar device. E-readers are an 'as well as' rather than 'instead of' device” Anonymous

“I rather think I will grow to love the e-book but I'm very sure I won't get rid of my existing collection of over 6,000 hard copy books” AMM, Edinburgh

“I mostly already have stopped reading things in paper format--it's just that there are a few things still more convenient to read on paper (e.g. the free newspaper on the train)” Anonymous

“I can take (an e-reader) with me with plenty of books loaded, and the e-reader isn't heavy. I also love books, they're a part of my life and I think they can quite happily work alongside the e-reader. There's plenty of room for both” Elinor M, Midlands

“Publications with a short-life span, such as newspapers, I already access on-line; similarly for specialist magazines and journals, extracts from which I tend to access on-line, downloading and printing off those I may need to keep” Paul S, London

“We would not have the skill of illuminated manuscripts if we got rid of paper books. Readers are okay in certain things but we must never get rid of books” Julie M, Mirfield

“You cannot replace the feel of a book in ones’ hand. I do read eBooks now but still prefer a ‘real’ book. Mostly use eBook when travelling or late at night to read in bed when partner asleep” Anonymous

“E-readers are OK for taking a lot of books on holiday so you can save on the luggage allowance, but I won't be chucking out all my books anytime soon” Baz, Swansea

“The Kindle is fine for reading books etc. but to view photographs associated with the story the pictures are not so good out of focus too small to view the overall sizing is a problem. Particularly maps” Anonymous

I think I will read less on paper but not give it up completely. I like to collect sets of my favourite fiction paperbacks. I'm not totally against reading more on screen but I'm not sure it is good for your eyes” Linz, Sussex coast

Tradition vs. technology: which do you prefer and why?

Join the debate using the Disqus comments section below!